Carson Palmer Won't Play Against Steelers, Bengals Hope to Have Him for Playoff Run

Nearly four weeks ago, it looked like the Bengals were going to shut down Carson Palmer for the season. Well, we're still waiting, and despite head coach Marvin Lewis' proclamations that the team hasn't ruled out Palmer's return, it won't happen this Thursday, either, when Cincinnati travels to Pittsburgh.

Via NFL.com's Adam Schefter:

And now that it already has been determined Palmer will be on the bench for week 12 matchup at Pittsburgh, it is fair to wonder if and when Cincinnati's veteran quarterback will play again. After Thursday night's game in Pittsburgh, Cincinnati will have five games remaining - Baltimore, at Indianapolis, Washington, at Cleveland, Kansas City.

Which means that Ryan Fitzpatrick will make his seventh start of the season. And while he's only averaging five yards per completion and has one more interception (6) than touchdowns, he's steadily improved over the last month and a half.

Whether it'll be enough to slow up the Steelers' top-rated defense is another issue. But the Bengals eked out a tie against the Eagles, the same outfit who sacked Ben Roethlisberger eight times in Week 3, so it's not entirely implausible.

As for Palmer, he'll serve as the team's emergency quarterback, although if he's not well enough to start, he's probably not well enough to come off the bench. But this isn't a medical blog, so maybe I'm wrong about that.